Chapter 123: Beyond the Hunting Ground

Beyond the Hunting Ground

Leon gave them a polite smile.

"Thank you for your concern, teachers."

His voice was calm.

Almost too calm for the situation.

He glanced toward the deeper part of the hunting ground. The mist was still hanging heavily between the trees. Somewhere beyond it, the presence of powerful beasts could still be felt.

Leon turned back toward the proctors.

"But I’m truly fine..." He paused briefly. "May I continue the exam now?"

The proctors fell silent.

No one answered immediately.

The white-haired elder stared at Leon for a long moment. His eyes moved slowly over Leon’s body, as though trying to find some hidden sign of injury.

Leon simply stood there.

Calm.

Composed.

Not giving him anything to work with.

Finally—

"Ahem."

The elder cleared his throat.

The strange silence was finally broken.

"Student Leon, you may continue."

Leon nodded politely.

"Thank you."

Charlotte, however, didn’t move right away.

She continued looking at him.

Her gaze was deeper this time.

More careful.

There was something about Leon’s body that she couldn’t explain.

She had seen countless injuries before. She had also seen people conceal pain.

But Leon was different.

There was no obvious weakness in him.

No visible wound.

And yet, something about him felt strange.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly.

Leon noticed.

But he said nothing.

After a few seconds, Charlotte finally turned away.

She rose into the air with the others.

The rest of the group followed.

One after another, their figures disappeared into the mist above the hunting ground.

High-level beast-girls and beast-soul masters could all fly.

For people at their level, it wasn’t anything unusual.

Leon remained where he was.

He watched until the last figure vanished completely.

Only then did his shoulders loosen.

He quietly let out the breath he’d been holding.

"That was close."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Close?"

Leon glanced at her.

"Those teachers looked like they were about to carry me out of here."

Selena let out a soft laugh.

"They thought you were about to collapse."

Leon shook his head.

"They worry too much."

Evelyn smiled.

"Or perhaps you’re the strange one."

Leon immediately placed a hand over his chest, looking genuinely offended.

"Me?"

Selena nodded with a completely serious expression.

"Very strange."

Leon stared at her.

Then he looked at Evelyn.

For a moment, neither woman said anything.

The three of them simply stared at one another.

Then Evelyn’s lips twitched.

Selena broke first.

She laughed.

Leon couldn’t hold it in either.

Soon, all three were laughing together.

The tension that had surrounded them only moments ago finally eased.

But far behind them, the atmosphere was very different.

The proctors flew through the thick mist.

Their expressions were no longer relaxed.

One of them glanced back toward the direction Leon had disappeared.

"That young man’s body... is strange."

The others fell silent.

Charlotte didn’t answer immediately.

She continued flying through the mist, her expression unusually serious.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Finally, one of the proctors couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

"Teacher Charlotte... why do you say that?"

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"There seems to be a trace of evolution energy in him."

The moment those words left her mouth, the others turned toward her.

Their expressions changed.

"That’s impossible."

"Evolution energy?"

"Even we haven’t fully grasped its secrets. How could someone his age possibly possess it?"

Charlotte pressed her lips together.

She understood their disbelief.

Honestly, she was struggling to believe it herself.

Evolution energy was far too mysterious.

Even powerful cultivators could only sense fragments of its existence, let alone control it.

And Leon?

He had simply stood there.

Yet for that brief moment, Charlotte had felt something inside his body.

Something different.

Something that shouldn’t have been there.

"Perhaps you’re right," she finally said.

Her voice was quieter this time.

The others slowly turned back toward the mist.

The matter should have ended there.

But Charlotte couldn’t let it go.

Her blue eyes remained troubled.

She could still remember that sensation.

That strange energy.

It had been incredibly faint.

So faint that she had almost dismissed it as an illusion.

But it hadn’t been.

She knew what she had felt.

For just an instant, something within Leon had responded.

Something ancient.

Something that seemed to carry the faintest breath of evolution.

Charlotte’s fingers tightened slightly.

What exactly are you, Leon?

She didn’t ask the question aloud.

She didn’t need to.

The uneasiness in her heart was enough.

[Ding! Target: Rias. Tyranny Value increased by 8%.]

Leon blinked.

Again?

He stared at the system notification.

Then shook his head with a wry smile.

This woman—

Why did her Tyranny Value keep going up?

He couldn’t understand it.

"Rias really is something else."

Selena glided toward him.

She landed gracefully beside Leon, her silver-white hair settling over her shoulders.

"Darling—more beasts ahead. Looks like we’re getting close to the inner zone."

Leon looked ahead.

The mist was thicker there.

Even his soul detection sensed more powerful life forms deeper within.

Evelyn emerged from the mist behind them.

Her green hair was slightly disheveled from battle.

Her breathing was a little heavy.

Leon immediately noticed.

He reached out and pulled her close.

"Rest a moment, my spider."

Evelyn leaned into him.

She lowered her head slightly.

"Leon... I’m sorry. I can’t keep up with you two."

Leon gently brushed a strand of green hair away from her face.

Then he kissed her forehead.

"You did beautifully, darling Evelyn. You’re growing stronger every day."

Evelyn looked up at him.

"But Selena is so strong now. I feel like I’m only watching from behind."

Selena stepped closer.

Her golden eyes softened.

"She’s right, Evelyn. You’re part of this team. And we’re not leaving anyone behind."

Evelyn looked at Selena.

For a moment, she didn’t speak.

The words seemed to settle somewhere deep inside her chest.

She had always known Selena was powerful.

But hearing those words now made her feel something different.

She wasn’t being dragged along.

She belonged here.

With them.

Evelyn smiled.

"Thank you, Selena."

Selena smiled back.

"Don’t thank me. Just keep getting stronger."

Leon chuckled.

"That’s my two girls."

Evelyn lightly punched his chest.

"Don’t make it sound so easy."

Leon caught her hand.

"Then I’ll help you."

Evelyn’s purple eyes softened.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Selena crossed her arms.

"And what about me?"

Leon looked toward her.

"What about you?"

Selena tilted her head.

"You keep giving Evelyn all the attention."

Leon laughed.

"Are you jealous, my love?"

Selena’s golden eyes narrowed playfully.

"Maybe."

Evelyn immediately smiled.

"See? Even Selena gets jealous."

Selena glanced at her.

"Don’t get too proud."

Evelyn laughed.

Leon shook his head.

The tension that had followed the second forbidden curse had finally disappeared.

He wrapped an arm around each of them.

The mist rolled around their bodies.

Somewhere deeper inside the hunting ground, a distant roar echoed.

Leon looked toward the darkness.

"Let’s move. The inner zone is waiting."

Selena’s golden eyes gleamed.

"Together."

Evelyn nodded.

"Together."

The three of them stepped into the mist—ready for whatever came next.